


Introducing Quake

by lexapride



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Inhumans, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 07:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexapride/pseuds/lexapride
Summary: What if Jiaying had a different reaction to Raina's visions of Ultron and Sokovia?A cool interaction of a more aware Agent Skye of SHIELD with the Avengers team and how they manage to save each other during Avengers: Age of Ultron.





	Introducing Quake

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys like this. I really loved the idea when Avengers: Age of Ultron first came out how cool Skye would be in helping them save Sokovia and how much of a powerhouse she could be to them. And then I really wanted her to confess to what she knew about Inhumans to Thor and I thought it would be cool if we claimed the Maximoff twins were actually Inhumans too through Whitehall and Von Strucker's experiments.
> 
> I've had pieces of this in the works for months and I've only just recently sat down determined to finish it so I would be in the right mindset to finally finish Chapter 5 of my other Agents of SHIELD time-travel piece, or rather Episode 4. I've been promising myself to finish both of these and putting it off because I wasn't insprired and I wasn't sure how to change some dialogue or finally enter an Avenger or two in Episode 4 that I realized I wanted them all to interact. So I managed to break up this and put it together differently.
> 
> I am sorry, I haven't posted anything at all on my previous Turning Back the Clock. I totally lost track of where I wanted certain things to go, and couldn't figure out what to fill the smaller chapters/episodes with. I promise I did manage to write more, I just need to finish it and then I'll post Chapter 5 next. Hopefully within the next two days.

Steve  was panting as he stood in the ruined church where the massive drill was. Thor perfectly framed in the crumbling archway with his arms outstretched and he knew, he just _knew_ the vain demigod prince was going to open his mouth and invite even more trouble.

"Is that the best you can do?" He calls out to the floating metal robot only forty yards away.

Ultron lifted up his arm and another army of robots came running forward only stopping at his movement.

Steve fought to keep his breath under control as he stared at the weaponized robots. "You had to ask." He eyed Thor irritatedly.

"This, is the best I can do." Ultron drawled, gesturing between the groups.

_And here comes a monologue._ Steve was too tired to roll his eyes as the thought ran through his mind.

"This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against, all of me. How can you possibly hope to stop me?" Ultra's voice slowly challenged the Avengers.

"Like the old man said," Tony's voice echoed from his suit. "Together."

Steve smiled wryly. _What do you know, he does listen to me._

Hulk agreed with Tony, his roar cuing the army of robots to rush forward and attack the church.

Then a flash of blue smokey light burst in between the team and the army. Two figures appeared just in front of the broken down building. A man with skin appearing to have grown over his eyes wearing a long brown coat and dark pants and a dark-haired girl in what looked like clothes with leathered armor around the chest, shoulders and legs entwined in his arms. 

"I know your heart is torn right now between two different families and that you don't trust Raina, but your mother and I both believe her when she told us you would be the one save Sokovia. Look deep within yourself to hone your abilities, Skye and stay safe. I have no doubt you'll make us all proud." Gordon whispered in her ear before withdrawing his arms and disappearing in another flash of smokey blue light.

Ultron stopped his army with just a wave of his arm and the Avengers stood stiffly around the drill as they each waited curiously to see what this girl would do.

Skye closed her eyes drawing on every ounce of courage she had to turn, glancing back once at the Enhanced twins that had appeared on the news with Ultron. Her mother had apparently identified them from her ledger with the Kree bloodlines they kept track of and Raina had nearly collapsed in front of the television when her second vision struck her, gasping out what she saw of Skye and the Avengers facing off with the metal man Stark had created. Her mother had immediately sent Gordon to gather her and Lincoln from SHIELD to bring back to safety, but Raina and Gordon had argued vehemently to send her to save Sokovia. Skye had been distrusting of every word that burst from the thorn-covered woman's mouth, but apparently Raina had seen Ultron and his destruction coming. Skye had only been allowed to come if she'd agreed to try to recruit the Maximoff twins back to Afterlife after the Battle of Sokovia was finished.

"Who are you?" Skye tried not to shudder at Ultron's voice then turned back to face him head on.

"Has anyone told you yet that you sound just like James Spader?" The words spilled out of her before she could stop them. "It's kinda disturbing since you're like super tall and beefy and he's totally - well, not."

Someone snorted behind her and Skye tried not to grin. An Avenger found her funny. This was beyond cool . . . . . and downright terrifying.

"I cannot find you online." Ultron told her.

"Probably because I erased myself off the web years ago, but that's not really why I'm here." She hardened her voice, preparing herself for what was about to happen.

"And why are you here?" A male voice called out from behind her. Skye whirled around, recognizing it, and trying really hard not to squeal in excitement. Captain America was standing just over there, talking to her.

"Believe it or not, I was forced to come . . . but, I can help." She met his bright blue eyes, trying not to drown in them dreamily before she ran her gaze over the rest of them - sweaty, dirty, battle worn. Her eyes landed on the young woman her own age, dressed in red and her magic covering her hands and blazing from behind her eyes.

_You take Ultron, I'll get the rest of them._ She projected her thoughts towards Wanda and the scarlet woman blinked in surprise at the clear reading.

"How is that possible? You are like us!" Wanda spoke aloud and her brother glanced down at her with a frown.

"Another Enhanced?" Ultron asked and Skye turned back to his army. "Great, just what I need."

"I'm not enhanced and I'm not gifted." Skye told him firmly and she began doing what Gordon told her to do. She began searching deeply into her psyche searching for that pool of pure buzzing energy, finding the instinctive wall she'd created around it and carefully lowered it, reaching in - figuratively, and literally - and holding it in the palms of her hands. “My name is Skye . . . and I’m Inhuman."

And with that she threw her arms out at his robots, the shockwave that emanated from her, so powerful, that the front five lines of weaponized bots shattered, the ones behind them, breaking apart until there were just automatic limbs still waving and kicking and wiggling towards her.

There was a pause - just for a moment - where Ultron stared at the remaining two-thirds of his army that was cracking, joints grinding, yet still standing.

"Holy crap." Skye heard Stark mutter behind her and couldn't help smirking up at the flying android.

Then he turned towards the dark-haired woman and pointed right at her.

"Destroy her and the rest of them." He said solemnly.

They charged and Skye let them.

"Get out of the way!" Hawkeye shouted, but she didn't move.

The metal men sprinting at her got within fifteen yards of her before she thrust her hands out extending her powers to feel every single vibrating molecule of metal and stopped them.

It was an incredible sight to see. The hundreds of robots in front of her were frozen in their tracks. No movement whatsoever and Skye grinned up at Ultron who - if he didn't have a locked jaw - would probably gape at her. She closed her eyes, and then began to literally shake them apart.

Their bodies floated into the air vibrating at such a high frequency, it was creating a high whining pitch only Vision and Skye could hear. The metal could be heard by everyone else though, grinding against each other, skidding and crushing itself until Ultron's entire army was in parts and pieces, lying on the ground.

"By the Gods!" Thor's shocked voice echoed in the small space and Skye panted at the amount of energy she had used, swaying in her spot as she turned and staggered a few steps towards the stunned Avengers.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna . . . sit down over here." Skye tried to get her breathing under control. "He's all yours." She gestured to the floating robot behind her and nodded to  the Maximoff girl and her twin.

"The pleasure is all mine." Wanda said in her heavy accent and Skye, still breathing heavily smirked at her. "Brother," She nodded to her twin and he grinned back at Skye before picking up Wanda and zooming over to Ultron.

The A.I. flew towards the Avengers but Wanda stopped him with her energy pulse, and slammed him into the ground. Pietro ran up to him, allowing his speed into his arms to throw punch after punch in seconds. Vision, Thor and Ironman flew at the downed robot and began using their powers and energies to literally melt down Ultron's form.

Skye sat down hard on a broken pillar next to the church watching as all three men and Wanda stopped at the same time, seeing his broken body and melted face. He stumbled to his feet.

"You know, with the benefit of hindsight-" He started to say but Hulk had jumped away from the church, landing in front of Ultron and punched him out of the neighborhood.

Skye was still having trouble getting her breathing under control as the red android - at least she thought he was an android - flew off to help War Machine take out any flying robots that were trying to escape the city.

"Are you alright?" Wanda stepped over to her and Skye nodded.

"Just peachy." She snarked and stood up, walking over to Captain America and the superspy assassins.

"You were . . . incredible." Captain America told Skye and she couldn't help blushing as she huffed out a laugh.

"Thanks. I'm fairly new at this so, should I still be out of breath, right now? I work out regularly so I know I'm not _that_ out of shape."

"No, it's not you. Even I can tell the air is getting thin up here." Steve told her and she nodded still breathing heavily. "We need to move out.” Skye looked back at the clouds and remembered the city was actually in the air. "You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers. Be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it." Wanda told him. He looked up at her. "It's my job."

"No. You need to go after Ultron." Skye spoke up and they all looked at her.

"We already have a plan." Natasha told the younger woman.

"It doesn't matter. I can save the city." Skye said.

"You're a powerhouse, I'll give you that." Steve told the anonymous Inhuman. "But we're gonna stick to our first option."

"Skye, it's okay. You've done your part." Wanda told her but she shook her head.

"No, it's not okay. Ultron is still functioning which means he's gonna find another weapon and come at us and any other civilians that are left."

"Look, we've got this." Natasha said but Skye sighed frustrated.

"I know I have no authority here, but you need to listen to me. Once Ultron's power is shut down, so will this drill and this city will literally fall out of the sky giving you two options: to either blow it up - destroying people's homes, or getting me to ground so I can save the city."

"You have a lot of power, but you just drained yourself defeating an entire _army_. You've done more than enough." Clint told Skye and she shook her head with a scoff.

"Fine. I know when I'm not wanted anymore. Think I'd be used to it by now." Skye muttered the last part to herself.

"Skye." Wanda started but she glanced up at the young woman with red in her eyes.

"You're right. You guys are experts at saving the world. Who am I to stand in your way?" Skye asked sarcastically and tiredly turned to leave them to it.

Natasha stared after her for a moment before they all began moving, splitting up accordingly. 

She and Clint found a still working convertible and she quickly sped through the ruined city, heading towards the lifeboats.

When they got there, she could see Hulk across the street, bored and making a mess. Natasha nodded to Clint.

"We don't have a lot of time." He told her.

"So get your ass to a boat." She told her partner, then started picking her way towards her love interest, eager to calm him down and take care of him until he was ready to run away with her. 

Clint was on the lifeboat with the other civilians staring at the demolished city until he heard a woman behind him crying for a little boy who he could still see, hiding in a ditch. He sighed and stepped off the lifeboat to fetch him quickly just as Steve and Thor arrived at the edge of the city where they'd all gathered.

Skye in the meantime had found a functioning motorcycle and had estimated where Ultron had landed from Hulk's punch but could find nothing. She cursed under her breath and began speeding for the other side of the city, where she just knew he was going to attack the others. She had to get there before someone got hurt.

Meanwhile Ironman had flown under the flying city and found the drill where he cut through the metal with his laser and began assessing the drill's weak points so he could sabotage it. He contacted Thor and told him to head back to the church to strike the drill from the top while he came through the bottom.

Natasha found Hulk pacing and slowly reached out, mindful of her approach. She had her hand out and he was responding peacefully until the shots came from the quinjet attacking from above. 

She was knocked off her feet but Hulk was still standing and took the brunt of the quick assault.

Pietro saw Clint had grabbed a little boy and was stuck in the middle of the street as the quinjet came speeding overhead shooting down on the Avengers. He rushed forward and pushed them behind an overturned car and felt the first sting of pain lance through his shoulder and then . . . nothing. He was still waiting for the pain to spread and death to warm over, but was surprised to glance down and only see one small red hole in his jumpsuit. He was in pain, yes, but he wasn't critically injured. He looked up and saw Skye standing not even a foot away, facing him with her arms outstretched, palms facing away and the street behind her with massive holes in cement and a shot-up motorcycle off to the side.

The fear and panic and pain that had eaten at him quickly turned to joy and relief and he was sure his twin sister - who he knew could feel everything he was feeling through their bond - thought that he was dead until someone convinced her otherwise.

_Wanda_ , came Skye's thought,  _he's safe._ The scarlet Maximoff had frozen in the church at the first spear of pain that had radiated through her from her twin's bond and she had felt her heart beginning to crack in two at the sheer amount of pain and panic that had begun to flood her senses. Now she crumpled to the ground at the near-crippling grief that rolled through her and she released it all through her powers as Ultron's remaining robots tried to attack her.

_Ultron is all yours_.

"Get to a lifeboat!" Skye shouted at Pietro and Clint who still held the little boy in his arms tightly. "NOW!"

The white-haired man nodded grabbing Hawkeye and the kid and zooming them over to the lifeboat.

Skye turned to see Hulk launch himself with the Black Widow in his arms off the flying city, aiming for the helicarrier. She started towards the edge of the city, watching as the quintjet circled back around, aiming to escape but the Hulk jumped up from the helicarrier he'd left Natasha on, bounced off the city and landed inside the open back ramp of the quinjet. It took only a few minutes before the broken form of Ultron dropped back towards the empty city. Skye paid no attention, knowing Wanda would find him and take care of him once and for all. She dug her hand into her pocket, grabbing the extra SHIELD coms piece Gordon had stolen for her and plugging it into her ear. She slid her phone from her jacket as well and began effectively hacking into the radio channel the Avengers were using so she could communicate with them.

Clint collapsed into some chairs next to Pietro who was being looked over by a medic. "It's been a long day." He told the younger man and Pietro nodded at him.

"It has." He sighed as the medic continued to cut part of his jumpsuit off his person so she could treat and wrap his shoulder

The Maximoff girl found Ultron in a crushed train.

"Wanda," Ultron muttered. "If you stay here, you'll die." He told her.

"I nearly did." She told him grimly. "Do you know how it felt?" She used her chaos magic to tear open his chest and remove his power core, effectively killing him.

The remaining robots, as well as the drill flying the hulking rock, deactivated and the city fell out of it's orbit. Steve almost fell with the city, only his reflexes saved him as he turned and jumped onto the lifeboat as the ground fell away from his feet.

Wanda blasted her way through the empty train, effectively allowing her magic to take over her instincts. She was surprised to learn she could fly, even as Vision found her, collecting her in his arms and flew her away.

"Skye!" Steve yelled seeing her still standing there on the falling city, staring down at her phone.

Tony, who'd been knocked off guard, held tight to the hole in the drill he'd made and the core to his suit began blasting energy at the drill.

"Thor, on my mark!" Stark's voice came through Skye's coms and she immediately started sprinting towards the edge of the city. Each step she took, she dug deeper and deeper into her remaining pool of energy and storing more and more of her power in her chest. Steve stared down at her in horror, Pietro and Clint rushing to his side to watch with him as she literally ran off the cliff of the city.

Thor, still in the church as gravity took it's toll, used the hammer to create lightning so he could help Tony use the drill to destroy the city before it could impact the Earth.

"Now!" Tony yelled.

“No, wait! Don't!" Skye's voice came over their coms, even as the wind whistled in her ears.

Tony jerked in surprise losing power and Thor lost his concentration, the lightning sparking the crumbling church and surrounding buildings.

"Skye!" Steve was shocked.

"How did you get on this channel!" Tony accused her.

"I was a hacker before I ever got my powers, but that doesn't matter. I can save the city. Just let me get to the ground first, I can slow it's momentum so the impact doesn't hurt anyone."

"Look, we're all impressed with your power, but-" Tony started.

"Wait a second, did you just say get to the ground first?" Natasha asked.

"I threw myself off the falling city. Suicidal, I know but I'm already landing. See?" She put her hands out, forcing the vibrating molecules around her to slow her fall and Tony turned his head, zooming his vision in on the pinprick that touched down easily into the crater the city had been ripped out of.

Tony was astonished as she put her hands out focusing on the rapidly descending city. It only took seconds before he began to feel the effects of her vibrational energy.

"Sir," FRIDAY spoke, "I'd suggest getting out from her vibrational wave. It might destroy your suit.

"Kid, you can't do this. It's a whole city. You've already used your abilities enough that you'll kill yourself if you try to slow it's descent - it'll just land on top of you if you don't get out from under it, now!" Tony told her but she shook her head as she focused on the crumbling rock plummeting towards her.

"I can do this."

"Skye, you'll kill yourself."

"These people deserve their homes." She paused thinking. "Fury!" She was wondering if he was on the line.

"I'd heard you were missing in action." His voice came over the line as Skye poured every fragment of her energy, of her abilities into slowing gravity.

"Tell AC and Gonzales not to come after my people. They don't deserve it."

"Tell them yourself, girl. Now get out of the way and let the Avengers do their job."

"Oh, my God! She's actually doing it!" Stark murmured as he watched the edges of the city shake from the effort of her vibrational wave.

Thor landed on the same lifeboat as his fellow male Avengers. "There are more of you?" He questioned and Skye's nose started to bleed as the city began to slowly decelerate.

"Sir." FRIDAY began and Tony finally put what little power he had left in his suit into his thrusters so he could get out of Skye's way.

"I wasn't sure you knew, Prince Thor. My people, Inhumans, are the result of Kree experimentation in manipulating human DNA with their own, thousands of years ago." Skye felt weak as blood began to drip from both of her ears as well, sticking to her skin. Skye put more strength behind her vibrational wave. "The Kree were driven off planet but left behind their Diviners which had terrigen crystals inside, to activate those who still had Kree DNA within them and their descendants." Skye's eyes closed as she concentrated on her draining powers as the city, still falling, began to slow - if only minimally. "My people were created to be weapons for the Kree and their intergalactic wars, but instead they formed a small community in secret here on Earth. They safely find other Inhumans and give them the choice to activate their latent abilities, allowing them to transition among their own kind, where they can't be judged or feared and learn control, before going back out to society to live normal lives."

"That's quite the story." Fury's voice came as tears of blood began to spill from Skye's eyes at the overextended use of her powers, even as the city's descent slowed incredibly, nearly twenty-five miles from the surface of the Earth. "Maybe you should tell me again when you _get out_ from under that _falling city_ and are _very much alive_.” He emphasized his words.

"Sorry, Fury. Gotta finish the job!" Skye closed her eyes to her receding vision as the city stopped it's fall just a mile over her head. She swayed in her spot her energy quickly dissipating as it all began to close in on her.

"No!" Thor shouted and was gone from his place on the lifeboat in a flash, his hammer leading his way.

The pointed center of the massive rock met it's origin first, with a loud boom! Then everything else began to fall into place.

Skye was barely thirty yards from the edge of the crater the city had been ripped up out of and with blood still leaking down her face while the city fell on top of her.

Thor screamed her name, pelting towards her through the air, but Tony got to her first.

"Up you go, little Shaker." His voice echoed over their coms, scooping her into his arms and dodging crumbling rock from the city as he flew around it.

Steve frowned in concern as he watched Tony and Thor flying back to their lifeboat. "Shaker?"

"What, you don't like it?" Tony's snark was automatic - a defensive barrier he used to keep any sort of vulnerability or worry for the girl in his arms at bay. "Alright, how about . . . mmm, Quake?"

He landed next to Clint and Pietro who stared down at the pale and bloody girl in his arms. Clint reached out with two fingers to press against the hollow of her neck.

"Dammit." The word came out sharp. "I can't feel a pulse. Lay her down, quick!" Tony set her down on a bench, his helmet opening and folding back so he could see her with his own eyes, just as Thor jumped back up onto the lifeboat. James Rhodes and Sam Wilson land on either side of Tony watching intently as Thor moves through the crowd quickly.

"Move." He commanded in his deep voice and reached up with his hammer, quickly summoning lightning as the others backed away quickly. He pointed the hammer at her prone body and shocked it with the small amount of lightning he'd mustered. His panic grew as he tried twice more before he cried out into the air. "NO!" He summoned more lightning and let it fly at her still form. The lightning rippled through her, causing her to convulse violently before she was gasping for air, her eyes wide open. Thor kneeled next to her as she panted, slowly reaching out and wiping away the blood from under her eyes and nose and away from her ears.

Skye turned her eyes to him and almost fainted at being up close and personal with the Avenger demigod. Her eyes dropped to his bulging arm muscles before meeting his gaze - was it a superhero requirement to have dreamy blue eyes?

"Uh, hi." She blinked stupidly at him before glancing around, trying to get her bearings. "Where am I?" She asked and Pietro stepped forward.

"I think you fell from Heaven to be with me." He flirted shamelessly with her, then offered his uninjured arm. "Would you touch me so I can tell my sister I've been touched by an angel?"

"Dude, she just died and came back to life, give her a chance to breathe." Clint told him and crouched down to her level as Skye took a minute to process his words.

"I died again? Crap, AC's gonna kill me." Skye groaned, flopping back over onto the bench with her arms over her face. The men all exchanged looks with each other over her head at her words. 

"Thanks for bringing me back. I don't know how many more times that'll stick though." Skye tried to joke, slowly sitting up but Thor frowned at her.

"You've died before?" Wilson asked, astonished.

"I came close once or twice." She muttered before meeting Vision's gaze as he slowly floated towards her, Wanda gripping him by the shoulders. She reached for her brother and he grabbed her quickly, hugging her tightly to him before glancing back at Skye who was mesmerized by Vision.

"You are the one who goes by the hacker handle Skyenet, are you not?" Vision asks her in his British accent and Skye blinks at him twice in surprise as Tony's head spun towards Vision in shock before turning back to her, staring.

Skye stares up at Vision trying to piece together how he knows that compared with the voice that sounds vaguely familiar.

"Wait a second, you're the hacker who nearly broke through my encryption, three years ago?" Tony asks. Rhodes looks over at him in surprise, tilting his head in question but Tony waves him off.

Skye smiles sheepishly at him, slowly sitting up and glancing between Tony and Vision before addressing everyone. "Hi, I'm Skye. I have a very strange and unusual background."

"You told me you grew up at the St. Agnes Orphanage in Hell's Kitchen." Vision spoke aloud and Skye's eyes narrowed at him.

"And you told me you were an A.I. program." She accuses him and he glances down at his red body.

"I was downloaded into this form last night." He tells her and she stares.

"I . . . I'm just-" She sighs. "The last two years have been very strange for me and I only recently came into my powers. I, uh, used to be a hacker for the Rising Tide before SHIELD picked me up. A team recruited me to be a consultant and I decided to train to be an agent. I was given a badge the day SHIELD fell." She turned to Steve, cocking an eyebrow. "There were plenty of agents who still believed in what SHIELD had originally been founded on. We decided to try to rebuild the organization from the ground up, the right way, without any of the classified levels dividing everyone and giving agents the transparency they deserve. I've been a part of that team for the last year. We've been fighting Hydra from the shadows and it's been hard but we've done a lot of good work. We were the ones who found Von Strucker and Loki's Scepter and sent that information to you through Maria Hill."

"Hill." Tony muttered darkly.

Skye couldn't help chuckling before she stopped abruptly, wincing at the pain in her chest and clucthing a hand to her heart. "Ow."

"You mentioned the Kree came to Earth." Thor said urgently to her and she nodded.

"I don't know a lot about your history or even my peoples' but, they came much earlier than your war with the Frost Giants. From what I understand, the Kree were battling with another world and losing, when they came to Earth to experiment on humans and turn us into weapons for their own war. And they succeeded. They injected their own DNA into human's and used terrigen crystals to activate the Kree DNA within humans, which basically evolved them into something else. These humans developed powers. They eventually drove the Kree off world keeping their Diviners which contained the terrigen crystals. The Diviners are lethal to regular humans and turn them to stone. HYDRA got their hands on one a few months ago and were trying to weaponize it for their own advantage, but SHIELD stopped them - with a cost. My partner died trying to protect me from it when it was accidentally activated in an abandoned underground Kree city in San Juan."

She turned to the Maximoff twins.

"You are speaking of Daniel Whitehall, are you not?" Pietro asked with a worried look on his face and Skye nodded.

"He and Von Strucker argued over it for weeks before finally testing it with us." Wanda admitted to the team. "This diviner that you spoke of. It was a metal helix with strange symbols engraved on it that when touched in the right sequence opened up and showed blue crystals growing within it. It activated a mist that killed three of Hydra’s scientists but encased us in stone and then in seconds broke apart. It gave us our abilities.”Wanda spoke slowly, enunciating through her accent so everyone could understand her.

Skye looked surprised. "I didn't know that. There were - extenuating circumstances that led us to an ancient city underground in Puerto Rico. There was a temple room that when you placed the Diviner on top it activated it as well. That's how I got my powers. Hydra thought they could develop the Diviner into a biological weapon but it was destroyed in the ensuing chaos. I couldn't control my new powers and it's been hard for my team to try to accept me but . . . my people found me and have been helping me ever since. Over the last few decades, they've formed their own community where they are safe to learn about their own history, and are chosen carefully by a council to prepare and go through a more stable version of Terrigenesis. They go through the transition safely with people who understand them and learn how to control their powers, made sure not to use them irresponsibly. When they are ready, they go back into society and live normal lives. Sometimes, if their powers change them physically and are too different, the council allow them to stay and live there instead. There is a woman who went through Terrigenesis with me, and she gets visions of the future. She knew Ultron was coming and she saw that I would help you save Sokovia."

"That's why you came. That man who brought you here is an Inhuman." Clint surmised and Skye nodded to him.

"Yes, but I'm also here for you two." She stared at the Maximoff twins.

"Us?" Pietro asked in surprise.

"My mother is the leader of the Inhumans and she keeps records of the earliest bloodlines and descendants. She recognized you two on television, realized that you two are Inhumans. She would like to meet with you guys, make sure you are okay, that your transitions weren't hindered by Von Strucker and his enhancements.  How long ago did you develop your powers?” Skye asked the twins softly.

“About four months ago.”

“So your bodies have already adjusted to the evolutionary changes in your biology." Skye mused aloud then met their eyes with a firm nod. "Then you don't really need to come with me and meet my mother."

"Isn't that what she wanted, what you were sent to do?" Wanda asked curiously and Skye exhaled slowly.

"I have a more complicated background that I've just recently found out about. Most particularly the fact that I grew up an orphan and I never _knew_ my biological parents. The fact that my mother has only just reached out now, especially when I've recently come into my powers, leads me to be a bit more suspicious about her motives. And she has a grudge against certain spy organizations." Skye said slowly.

"SHIELD." Sam rolled his eyes.

"To her it doesn't matter that a HYDRA team captured her in the 40's and then experimented on her. It wouldn't matter that Peggy Carter and her team of Howling Commandos rescued her." Steve looked surprised at that and exchanged meaningful looks with Clint and Sam. "It definitely would've put her off when forty years later, HYDRA massacred her Inhuman community, capturing her yet again, while a SHIELD team accidentally kidnapped her daughter, thinking they were saving the baby whom they thought was an 0-8-4 and brought her back to America. When SHIELD agents of the team that rescued the baby started dying mysteriously, they placed the baby in the foster system and created a protocol to keep her moving, bouncing around from foster home to foster home, not realizing her parents were the ones looking for her. Apparently, my Dad was a doctor and he liked to experiment with the same things Dr. Banner did." That immediately put everyone on edge. "He found a chemical combination that allowed him to temporarily 'Hulk out' and take out his anger on innocent SHIELD agents. While my mother is unstable and angry at humanity, my Dad snapped and became a monster. So yeah, that's my family." Skye widened her eyes comically trying to make light of her terrible backstory.

"How old is your mother?" Rhodes asked her.

"She has a healing ability that's allowed her to stay young for decades. The perfect power for someone like Werner Reinhardt to vivisect her and take her power for himself." Skye answered Steve's question. Steve blanched at her words.

"You mean he's-"

"Dead, AC killed him in San Juan."

"AC?" Tony asked skeptically.

"The new Director of SHIELD." Skye answered evenly, carefully watching their reactions. Clint rolled his eyes and Tony, Steve, Sam and Rhodes exchanged glances while Thor and the Maximoff twins just raised their eyebrows at each other. Vision had a completely blank expression on his face.

"Look, you did the right thing in taking down HYDRA within SHIELD." Skye addressed Steve and Sam directly and they both sighed. "No, listen to me. You did, but you left a lot of _good_ agents hanging in SHIELD bases all over the world. Most of them had to fight people they thought were friends, and while they were devastated, there were plenty that wanted to continue fighting, on what SHIELD was originally founded for in the beginning. Protection of the little people against the much weirder world out there. So Fury found AC and told him to start over, build from the ground up and this time from the shadows. And it's been working, for the most part." Skye frowned to herself as the last three words escaped her mouth, thinking of Bobbi and the group of uniformed SHIELD agents that had chased her across that field and shot at her.

"And you're a part of this team." Rhodes asked her and she nodded her head.

"Yeah. His original team was a mobile command unit and I let myself get on their radar so I could hack into their servers from the inside, trying to find out why SHIELD had dropped me off at an orphanage in the first place. Eventually I just told him the truth and he promised to help me, and he has. But when HYDRA came out of hiding we went underground, started recruiting whoever was left and we've been slowly working our way back up. My biological mother might have helped me with my powers, but I created a family with the people on my team. They might not have known how to handle me and my newfound powers but, they still cared enough to try."

Steve stared at her for a moment before giving her a short nod. She gave him a crooked smile before glancing at the twins again.

"You don't have to meet with my mother if you don't want to. I'm not going back until I get more answers from her anyway. Plus, I need to check in with my team. May is  _so_ not going to be happy."

"May?" Natasha sounded shocked through the COMS and Clint was gaping at her.

"As in Melinda May?"

"How the hell did you get the Cavalry to get back in the game?" Natasha asked and Skye scoffed.

"She hates being called that." Skye scolded them and Clint snorted.

"Of course she does, but that doesn't mean she didn't earn it."

"Yeah, I know how she earned it. She had to deal with a little Inhuman girl who had gone crazy because of her powers." Clint and Natasha went silent at that.

"She trained you, didn't she?" Natasha asked and Skye nodded before remembering the Black Widow couldn't see her.

"Yeah, she did. Her Tai Chi and heart beat monitors are just two of the reasons I have such great control over my abilities right now." Skye told them. Clint smirked at that and shook his head.

"Same old Mel."

"Well, now that you've completely broken protocol and admitted classified secrets to the Avengers, I think your work here is done Agent Skye." Fury materialized behind her and she sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. She stood up and swayed before Thor clutched her to him before helping her turn to face him while Tony immediately began to snark back.

"I thought Skye said that certain transparency was part of this new and improved SHIELD, so technically the words _classified_ and _protocol_ shouldn't exist." Tony smiled brightly at the One-eyed man.

"Calm down Fury, it's not like I told them who-"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get you back to the Playground so May and _AC_ can chew you out. They should be kicking out the rogue faction of SHIELD they were dealing with, right about now."

"Yes, sir." Skye said sarcastically before turning to Vision. "You can find me from one of my old emails, or just check those forums you used track me to." She smirked at the android and he stared at her blandly before smiling.

"It is always a pleasure, Skyenet."

"You too, J." She held out her hand and he shook it hesitantly before Tony pushed him out of the way, grabbing her hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"When you're not out on one of your crazy saving-the-world missions, you'll definitely have to come around the new Avengers Base outside of New York City and check it out, and/or try to beat me in a hack-off." He tells her and she chuckles lightly, trying not to grimace at the pain still in her chest.

"We'll see."

James Rhodes and Sam Wilson shook her hand easily giving her appraising and appreciative looks.

Clint stepped forward and, surprisingly, tugged her into a hug. "Hey, you saved my life and the kid. Thanks." He tells her after straightening and looking her in the eye.

"It was no problem." She says gracefully before Pietro grabs her hand from around Clint and presses his lips to it.

"I definitely owe you my life." He says in his heavy accent and Skye tries not to blush as his lips linger over her skin.

"Stop embarrassing yourself, Pietro." Wanda teases him and reaches forward, embracing Skye as well. "Thank you for saving my brother's life. We are both in your debt."

"Honestly, since we're both doing the saving-people thing, let's forget about any debts. You know where to find me." Skye told her with a firm nod, thinking of the Playground specifically for Wanda's magic to pick up from her mind. Wanda smiled tiredly and nodded back.

"Prince Thor. Thank  _you_ for bringing me back to life." Skye said shaking his huge beefy hand firmly in her own tiny one. He chuckled and brought her hand up to his lips like Pietro and bowing his head over it.

"You are more than welcome Princess Skye." Skye startled at the title as he briefly kissed her hand.

"Princess?"

"Your mother leads your people, does she not? So she is their Queen, and since you are her daughter, you are their Princess."

"Makes sense." Steve says and grabs her hand from Thor's imitating Thor and Pietro, letting his lips linger over her hand as well. "You definitely saved _our_ asses - and Sokovia as well." Skye finally lost control and couldn't help the blush that overwhelmed her.

"I - uh . . . it really was no problem. You guys should stop thanking me." She stuttered as he straightened, instinctively moving closer to her as people moved around them all. "But, um, I think I can help you with your search for the Winter Soldier?" She finished softly and Steve's smile froze on his face before a look of hope took over.

"Really?"

"I'll start a search on one of my programs when I get back to a computer and send you the details that I find."

"Thank you, I - don't know what to say."

"Say you won't give up on your best friend." His eyes narrowed at her.

"How did you know about-"

"AC hasn't told me specifically to do this but, I keep an eye on the Avengers and any issues that might come up for them." Skye winked up at him and he beamed down at her.

"Alright Juliet, say goodbye to your Romeo and let's get you back in time for dinner and a scolding." Fury said sharply and Skye shared a smile with Steve while he blushed a bright matching red at the words.

"Tell Dr. Banner to look me up sometime, I might be able to help him with his control on the Other Guy." Skye told Natasha through the COMS and Natasha couldn't help shaking her head in disbelief before acknowledging the offer.

"I'll tell him, when I find him." The deadly redhead answers dryly and Skye laughs.

"I'll track him down and send you the coordinates if he really wants company."

"Thanks." Natasha answered gratefully.

The Avengers team watched Fury lead Skye by her elbow, gently steering her around the refugees and broken citizens of Sokovia.

"She is a remarkable woman." Thor commented quietly and Wanda and Pietro both nodded.

"She has stolen my heart." Pietro said, theatrically clutching at his chest and slumping into a seat next to Clint.

"I've been trying to hire her for the better part of five years. SHIELD agent my ass. She used to be a hacktavist for the Rising Tide!" Tony suddenly burst out. "She used to be all for freedom of information. No classified secrets and such nonsense. For crying out loud." He muttered to himself. "Who on Earth talked her into joining SHIELD?" He began to rant to Rhodes and Vision who was watching his teammates dispassionately.

"She's gonna help you find Bucky?" Came Nat's quiet voice to Steve as Sam moved closer to him and he watched the brunette powerhouse disappear with Maria Hill.

"Yeah, she is."

"Hey man, if she can hack into Stark's servers, works for the real SHIELD you were hoping it to be, and has super cool powers, you better snatch her up quick before some other poor schmuck tries to." Sam teases him.

Steve huffs out a short laugh before turning back to him, refusing to comment on that. Somehow she seemed to have a positive outlook on life, despite her parentage and rough childhood. He couldn't help but admire her for that and hoped it continued in the future. He had no doubt that he would eventually run into Skye again. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So you guys let me know what you think, and if you want me to continue this into another chapter or two on how Skye and Steve can interact in finding Bucky, or potential Wanda/Skye friendship, and/or even Skye hunting down Bruce Banner and figuring out a way she can find the right vibrational frequency to knock a human brain unconscious - what if she could do that for the Hulk? Cool right? :)
> 
> Again, sorry I haven't updated on my other piece Turning Back the Clock. I promise I'm more than halfway through it, now it's just a matter of editing and finishing the episode/chapter.
> 
> Anyways. Feel free to leave any and all comments and critiques. Love feedback :D


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